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Port Deposit to run its own tax sale after missing county deadline, officials say
Summary
Town officials said Port Deposit missed a county tax-sale certificate deadline and must hold its own tax sale to regain possession of cyclical tax-sale properties; legal counsel advised the town on the process and timeline during a closed-session review.
Port Deposit officials told the Town Council at its Nov. 18 work session that the town must conduct its own tax sale to regain possession of properties tied to a cyclical tax-sale memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Cecil County after the town missed the county certificate deadline.
Town Administrator Vicky Rinkerman told the council that she, Treasurer Patti Gray and Administrative Assistant Mary Culver met with Town Counsel Tom McCarron to review legal options after the county certificate deadline was missed. The council previously convened a closed executive session on Nov. 4 "to consult with counsel to obtain legal advice on a legal matter relative to cyclical tax sale properties," a meeting record shows. That Nov. 4 session adjourned without returning to open session.
Why it matters: the county previously included those properties in an MOU; missing the certificate deadline means the town cannot rely on the county's June 2026 tax sale timetable and instead must run its own sale if it wants to pursue foreclosure and regain title. Officials said counsel outlined a process and timeline for the town to proceed, though no formal vote on a specific schedule was recorded at the Nov. 18 session.
Town Counsel Tom McCarron and Town Administrator Rinkerman discussed options and next steps with council members in the closed session and during the work session update. Councilman Daniel Berlin and Councilwoman Randa Thiele were among the elected officials present when the matter was explained; the Nov. 4 motion to enter the earlier closed session was made by Councilman Berlin and seconded by Councilwoman Thiele and recorded with a roll-call vote.
What happens next: Rinkerman indicated staff will follow the process discussed with counsel to prepare for a town-run tax sale; the council did not set a public timetable at the Nov. 18 work session. The town's staff will return with more details and any formal recommendations for council action when available.
The council meeting record notes the closed session was conducted pursuant to the Annotated Code of Maryland, General Provisions Article, Title 3, Subtitle 3, Section 3-305 (7), to obtain legal advice on this matter.
